Gerrit Cole sweepstakes: Yankees reportedly offer $245M contract

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Now it really begins. Everything else in the Gerrit Cole sweepstakes was just a warm-up until the news hit Monday that the Nationals have a deal in place with pitcher Stephen Strasburg. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported the World Series MVP's new deal as seven years and worth $245 million.

The length and figure are similar to what Bob Klapisch of The New York Times is reporting the Yankees offering to Cole.



Those figures are now a jumping-off point for the crazy offers teams will make to the former Astros star.

Following Strasburg's deal, the 29-year-old Cole is likely to get more than seven years and much more than $245 million.

Don't be surprised if Cole's deal approaches or even surpasses $40 million a year.

The Yankees, Dodgers, and Angels lead the pack in pursuit of Cole. Barring a stunning reversal of plans that have long been in place, the Astros won't pay to keep the AL Cy Young Award runner-up.

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